The random (and I do mean random) musings of a foreign language professor that range from mundane to shocking, cloying to cold and distant, contented to disgruntled... (N.B. Posts may appear in English, Spanish, French, Welsh, Cornish, Breton or any combination thereof. Other languages may also appear from time to time)

the old homea green closedrained by narrow streamsflowing along the hillsfrom spring valley to soggy bogunder a shock of blue skythe sun shining in hot summersthe chirp of tree-frogs singingin the cool breeze of the night

this is the land between the Birches and Willowsa sweet nursery to me, a penniless childthe woods were a kind sovereigntywhere I would spend long hours creating world upon worldworthy journeys in a place of spirits

still I remember the trees and streams and their soulsthis was the land of my dreamsthis was the land of my peoplethis was a wildish and wet land

and this is land where my father's remains arewhere I laid his ashes still warm from the crematoriumashes that clung to my socks as I emptied the small black box(the whole life of a man, his memories, his thoughts, his fearsall in a little box...)my brother was at my sidethe weather was hot and humidtypical for my native soil

by now though the birches and willows have rotted tooas the soul of the land withered, witness to my agingtheir remains now too are nothing more than duststill dust that nourishes new treespines that are tall and greenmy father's ashes now do the same kind of work

but left to me nowin the former territory of the Birches and Willowsare only ghosts who wander the big hilltaking draughts from the whispering streams

though I still rememberwhat kind of place it was thenand despite my logic and my philosophyI would gladly go to it again and wander the woodsand remember who I used to be

Dades personals

I'm a 39 year old college professor who teaches foreign language, linguistics and world literature in a small community college in Upstate New York. I have a special interest in Celtic languages and cultures. While the content of this blog in English, in addition, I'm happy to receive comments and reply in Welsh, French, Spanish and German.